Shaker Bean Soup
Submitted by mom9nh
Hearty Shaker bean soup simmered with a ham bone, navy beans, tomatoes, carrots, and spinach. A rustic American heritage recipe that feeds 12 and gets better every hour it cooks.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
3 hrsREADY
4 hrsThe Shakers knew a thing or two about feeding a crowd with simple, honest ingredients. This bean soup is proof. Navy beans, a meaty ham bone, and a handful of vegetables go into a big pot and simmer all afternoon until everything melts into a thick, soul-warming bowl.
The ham bone does double duty here, building a smoky broth while the beans slowly turn creamy. Tomatoes in puree and a touch of brown sugar add a sweet-tangy backbone.
Right before serving, fresh shredded spinach gets stirred in so it just barely wilts. It’s that last-minute green that makes this soup feel complete.
Kitchen Tips
- Quick-soak the beans by boiling for 2 minutes, then letting them sit for an hour; skip the overnight soak
- Trim the meat from the bone after it’s cooked and cooled slightly, then return the meat to the pot
- The brown sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes; don’t skip it
- This soup freezes beautifully for up to 3 months; add the spinach fresh when reheating
Ingredients
Directions
Sort and rinse beans.
Place in soup kettle or dutch oven.
Cover with water and bring to a boil.
Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand 1 hour.
Drain beans and discard liquid.
In the same kettle, place ham bone or hocks, 3 quarts of water and beans.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1½ hrs or until meat easily falls from the bone.
Remove bones from broth and, when cool enough to handle, trim meat.
Discard bones.
Add ham, onion, celery, carrots, salt, pepper and thyme.
Simmer, covered, 1 hour or until beans are tender.
Add tomatoes and brown sugar.
Cook for 10 minutes.
Just before serving, add spinach.
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